Observed Prevalence of Congenital Situs Inversus in the United States Before and During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic, 2017-2022.

Background: Reports from China describe an increase in the frequency of fetal situs inversus in 2023 after the country's "zero-Covid" policy was lifted, suggesting an association with maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, a report of birth defects surveillance data from Scandinavia observed no sustained increase during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (2020-2022 vs. 2018-2019).

Patient motivation as a predictor of digital health intervention effects: A meta-epidemiological study of cancer trials.

The objective of this meta-epidemiological study was to develop a rating that captures participants' motivation at the study level in digital health intervention (DHI) randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The rating was used to investigate whether participants' motivation is associated with the effect estimates in DHI RCTs for cancer patients. The development of the rating was based on a bottom-up approach involving the collection of information that captures participants' baseline motivation in empirical studies from the Smartphone-RCCT Database.

A qualitative study of Black breast cancer previvors' and survivors' experiences after positive genetic testing.

Black women have a disproportionately high mortality rate from breast cancer, which is likely influenced by an intersection of environmental, cultural, economic, and social factors. Few published studies capture the experiences of Black women after a genetic diagnosis associated with increased risk for breast cancer. This study aims to explore the perspectives and experiences of Black women who carry a pathogenic variant associated with increased breast cancer risk and identify barriers to care for this population.

National population-based estimates for major birth defects, 2016-2020.

Background: We provide updated crude and adjusted prevalence estimates of major birth defects in the United States for the period 2016-2020.

Methods: Data were collected from 13 US population-based surveillance programs that used active or a combination of active and passive case ascertainment methods to collect all birth outcomes. These data were used to calculate pooled prevalence estimates and national prevalence estimates adjusted for maternal race/ethnicity for all conditions, and maternal age for trisomies and gastroschisis.

Biostatistics for gastroenterologists. Part III - Mastering meta-analysis for beginners.

Meta-analysis combines data from multiple independent studies to derive robust conclusions. This article provides an insightful guide to conducting meta-analyses with a particular focus on gastroenterology studies. The process of conducting a meta-analysis involves several systematic steps.